The Goddard School of Ashburn

The Goddard School

Ashburn, VA

703-724-0601

Attn: Madhu Govil

Many parents look forward to announcing that their child can read, but the truth is children are reading long before they can interpret the pages of the book. As with most things in life, reading requires the proper building blocks before it can begin.

Reading begins with language and how it relates to your child’s world. Creating a language-rich environment will help your child’s vocabulary grow. Language develops with every interaction you have with your child -- infants begin by reading their parents’ facial expressions while older children develop their vocabulary by listening and eventually repeating what their parent say. Verbalize your child’s world and he or she will begin to repeat sounds and syllables -- be sure to pause, speak and alter conversation style.

A print-rich environment may also help prepare your child for reading by making the connection between your child’s world and the symbols we use to communicate, so make your home an active learning environment. Start labeling household items with pictures and words so your child will learn to associate everyday items with their symbols. Lead by example and let your child see you read often. Teach your child to respect books -- while pages will rip and bindings will break; your child will learn that you value books and their content if you set a high expectation for their care.

Remember, it takes many interactions with the alphabet and phonemic awareness for reading skills to develop. While it may be difficult to remain patient, be assured that reading will happen when your child is ready.

The following are easy-to-follow steps for your child when it comes to reading:

Infant to One Year
· Play appropriate music; it leads to acute sound discrimination used later in letter sound discrimination.
· Read simple board books with one picture per page, contrasting colors or simple pictures, and point to the items on each page.
· While reading to your child, make faces -- it’s fun and your child will notice subtle differences.
· Offer choices and name options. Watch your child’s eyes and hands for favorites.
· Allow your child to point and turn book pages.
· Describe everything; name colors, shapes and sizes.
· Verbalize and describe your child’s actions (e.g., "That’s the blue ball. Uh-oh, it rolled away. I’ll roll it back to you. You caught it.")

The Goddard School®, the premier preschool for children from six weeks to 6 yrs old, is located at 45091 Research Place, Ashburn, VA in Ashburn. On-site owner, Madhu Govil, along with her education director, Ms. Teresa Roberts and faculty which includes teachers trained and experienced in early childhood development, are eager to welcome children into this nurturing environment where the curriculum encourages learning through play.

To learn more about The Goddard School located at 45091 Research Place, Ashburn, VA in Ashburn families are encouraged to please contact The Goddard School at 703-724-0601 for more information.

About Goddard Systems, Inc.
The Goddard School® (www.goddardschools.com) is a nationwide franchise of Goddard Systems, Inc. headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.  With over 320 franchised schools nationwide and 42,000 children enrolled, Goddard is the fastest growing preschool in the United States.  Goddard was recently recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as the "#1 Childcare Franchise" for the eighth consecutive year (January 2009) and Franchise Times magazine as one of the Top 200 Franchise Systems (in worldwide sales) for the second consecutive year (October 2008).